Comparisons have inevitably been made with Trevor Halstead, but Sharks centre Grant Rees believes he has more to offer than the former Bok.

“Trevor was a great player and I learnt a lot from him when he was with the Sharks,” Rees told keo.co.za. “I am a similar type of player, but I believe I can vary my game a bit more. I rate my passing skills, for example, so I don’t just see myself has someone who can bash it up.”

Rees broke his jaw in a Currie Cup match against the Bulls in 2004, and missed out on selected for the 2005 Super 12. He captained the Wildebeest in the Vodacom Cup, before forcing his way back into the Sharks XV for the Currie Cup season. He’s played 30 matches for the Durbanites (scoring six tries) and is now keen to make his long-awaited Super 14 debut.

“It’s everyone’s dream to play in the Super 14, so I can’t wait to test myself against some of the best players in the world, like Tana Umaga and Dan Carter,” he said. “The only international player I’ve played against, apart from the Boks, is English centre Mike Tindell. But ja, I’ve done well in the Currie Cup and this is the year for me to make the step up to Super 14 rugby.”

The Sharks may not have the flashiest side around this year, but Rees believes they can still score tries against top opposition.

“We’ve got some really talented players in the backline, who are good distributers, so there’s no reason why we can’t do well in the Super 14,” he said.

The Sharks kick off their season against the Chiefs in Durban on 11 February.